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The following policy was approved by a vote of the DLESE Steering Committee, July 2, 2002.
DLESE (Digital Library for Earth System Education) is committed to respecting the privacy of those who visit our websites, and those who choose to subscribe or register for information, services, DLESE activities, or DLESE events. We have created this privacy policy to demonstrate our commitment to respect that privacy. Please review the DLESE Privacy Policy set forth below so that you can understand your options in using a DLESE website or service.
This privacy policy covers our treatment of personally identifiable information (e.g. first and last names, email address, a home or physical address, a telephone number, institution or affiliation) that DLESE may hold. You can visit any DLESE website without identifying who you are, or revealing personally identifiable information.
Any personally identifiable information DLESE obtains about a user of its websites, services, search systems, events, or activities is information supplied voluntarily by the user as part of using a particular website, or signing up for a particular service, activity or event, or in requesting information from DLESE.
DLESE is not responsible for the privacy practices of non-DLESE websites, services or organizations to which a DLESE website or service may link, refer, or recommend.
At this time, DLESE only uses the personal information that you provide in order to record and support your activities within DLESE websites and web-based services, to provide you information about DLESE and related activities or events, and support your participation in activities and events. At this time, DLESE does not sell, rent, or share any personal information that it collects on its websites or web-based services, or in organizing any activity or event. DLESE reserves the right, however, to change this policy, and will give you sufficient notice prior to doing so to allow you to "opt-in" to having your information shared.
Personal information about DLESE members and users may, from time to time, be shared with outside contractors, auditors, consultants, collaborators, and others contracted by DLESE to assist in carrying out financial or operational activities. DLESE informs recipients of information about safeguarding personal information, and requires them to use it only for an authorized purpose consistent with this privacy policy, and to return it or destroy it upon completion of the activity.
DLESE will disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal processes served to you, DLESE, or the site.
DLESE websites and DLESE search and discovery systems maintain raw log files of documents retrieved and search queries entered. Information extracted from these log files (e.g. the pages requested, referral URLs, estimation of time spent on a page, estimation of a user session, result sets from search queries) is processed in aggregate to help DLESE gauge the effectiveness of its websites and services, improve the performance and structure of its websites and services, and for generating general use statistics. DLESE may share this type of information with its collaborators, sponsors and contractors to evaluate and improve the site.
Persistent Identifiers
In order to use some DLESE services, a user may be required to have a persistent identifier (e.g. a login identifier.) These identifiers may link to personally identifiable information the user supplies DLESE as part of registering or signing up for a service. These identifiers will not be linked to general use information except where the user has explicitly agreed to this action when signing up for the service (and where it may be a requirement to use the service) or when a user has volunteered to participate in an evaluation study of library use.
IP numbers and domain names
IP numbers and domain names are included in the raw log files and are used in helping to compute aggregate statistics (e.g. as a basis for defining a use session.) These IP numbers are not used to link DLESE use to any other personally identifiable information that DLESE may hold.
Cookies
A DLESE website or service may use cookies to improve the user's interaction with the site or service. DLESE does not use cookies to track visitors except in conjunction with a service that requires keeping track of a user's sessions, or actions, (e.g. a service allowing a user to see a history of their previous search queries) and the user has agreed to this when signing up to that service.
Public Forums: Email lists, chat services, web forums
DLESE hosts and maintains a number of public email lists and forums for use by interested individuals. Some are open for subscription and use; others are moderated where a list or forum moderator may limit subscription and posting access. In each case, users can subscribe and unsubscribe from these areas at any time.
Please note that any information that you post to a public bulletin board or chat room is available to all persons accessing that site. Unsubscribing from a list or forum will not remove any name, email address or information that was part of any previous posting from any archive of these lists or forums. In cases where this information came from information submitted in any registration process, the information in the public forum will not be removed when the registration is terminated and the registration information removed.
Children's Guidelines
Students are advised to consult with their parents or teachers before registering for any service or giving any personal information online.
DLESE may provide services either directed at children grades K to 12, or where children are expected to be among the users. Two common examples are a virtual library reference desk and an "Ask-A" service to allow students to either send a question to a librarian or to a scientist in an "Ask-A-Scientist" service. In sending a question, students may be asked to provide their first name, grade, school, and state/country; the information requested by these services is used solely for participation in these activities (e.g. to allow an answer to include regional information useful to the questioner) and is neither stored nor sold to third parties. If the question and corresponding answer is posted on the website or included in reports (e.g. an FAQ), only the student's first name, grade, and state/country will appear.
If you have any questions about this privacy statement or the practices of DLESE, please contact support@dlese.org or write DLESE at the address below. Please include your name, address and email address when you contact us.
Privacy Preferences
DLESE Program Center
UCAR
PO Box 3000
Boulder, CO, 80307
Last
modified October 25, 2007. 
